CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Football practice kicks off Monday for most high school programs in Texas.
Temperature will be a major factor, as there hhave already been nine days at 100 degrees or more so far in July. Corpus Christi ISD is implementing a different measurement, the wet bulb, globe, temperature (WBGT) index, to keep their athletes safe.
High school football players have more than practice dummies and opponents to battle this season.
"It's been a problem with us. It's South Texas. This is what it is," Moody head athletic trainer Robert Gonzalez said. "It's heat, but unfortunately as most of us can tell since June it's never been this warm in a long, long time."
In the past programs have studied heat indexes, which measures in the shade.
Now Corpus Christi ISD is switching to a wet bulb measurement, which is recommended by the UIL. This method takes the sun, it's angle, wind and cloud cover into effect.
"We take a reading at the time that we want to practice. Then we'll figure out exactly how much time it's going to allow us before we have to shut it down," Gonzalez said. "Of course if you get into the 92.1 Fahrenheit there won't be any practices outside. That's when you know you have to start practicing even later in the evenings. 6:30 or 7 p.m. or go earlier in the morning."
There are a lot of factors to this method, but basically, the greater the humidity, the more difficult it is for the body to cool itself.
"We never tend to put the kids in any harm, and it's difficult sometimes people want to go home," Gonzalez said. "It's not going to work, especially this year as hot as it is."
For more information on heat stress and athletic participation recommendations from the UIL click here.
